Russell Martin hoping to feature for Walsall soon

The 32-year-old, who is a close friend of Dean Keates, was snapped up by the Saddlers last week following his release by Norwich.

Martin watched from the stands as Walsall fell to back-to-back defeats against Luton and Southend.

But the defender, who was on loan at Scottish giants Rangers last season, says he is fit and ready play when Keates needs him.

“Hopefully I will be involved soon,” he said. “I have kept myself as fit as I can over the past six weeks – training on my own.

“You do miss the football stuff and I’ve not played a first-team game for a long time. It was towards the end of last season with Rangers.

“But I’ve played a couple of under-23s games. It’s just about getting match fit now. I’m ready to go whenever the manager wants to put me in. But I won’t be putting any pressure on him. It’s up to him.”

After their recent losses, Walsall will look to get back on track when they host Wycombe today. And Martin has been hugely impressed with the attitude of his new team mates.

“It would be easy to come away and just think we’ve had a tough week,” he said. “But the players here won’t just accept that. That is great. It shows how high they have set their bar and how high they set their standards.

“Against Luton, we didn’t play. But at Southend, for the first 60 minutes, we bounced back really well.

“We had a great chance early on and if it goes in it’s a different game. We then conceded two sloppy goals. And after that it is difficult.

“But in both games, I’ve not seen anything to fear. It’s just keeping confidence high in the camp.

“But I don’t think that will be a problem. The fact they are disappointed with the results and performances shows how far they have come as a team.

“A positive result against Wycombe changes things again.

“Over the course of a season it’s about trying to be as steady as you can – not getting too high and not getting too low, that’s so important.

“You need consistency in your action and your thoughts. That’s is where the manager and the coaching staff come in.”

Meanwhile, former Saddlers midfielder Florent Cuvelier has joined League Two side Morecambe on a short-term deal until January.